Horváth János: Zichy Mihály emlékmúzeum Zala, 1979

good memory of my name up in the Caucase" -}- Besides illustrating books from Russian authors, the Hungarian artist also provided pictures for Shakespeare's Fa I staff, revealing this way a hitherto unparalleled technique in water-colours. It is in 1855 that he starts on one of his most remarkable achievements, the illustration of The Man's Tragedy — a dramatic poem written by the Hungarian Imre Madách — whose timeliness and historically faithful dramatic character was highly spoken of by Gorki himself. The artistic peak for Zichy in this field, came about with the i Illustration s to the ballads of János Arany, a giant of Hungarian literature. This period was to last from 1892 till. 1897 during wich a remarkably perfect agreement of meaning and means whereby to express it, was achieved. In connection with this, the faroff living Ziohy thanked for the home appreciation in a long letter: ,,l knew that my country was suffering ... it made me sad being so far from home, The happier and more eager I was to grasp at every arising opportunity when my country, remembering her far away living son, asked me for anything whatever. I rejoiced with all my heart at the sings of her ressurection... I have always remained a Hungarian ..." Invited by the Prince of Wailes in 1871, he spends twelve days on a Scottish hunting, the memories of which are at display here together with that copperplate print which is equally remarkable folkloristically and for its tru-to-life 'representation of the age involved. The sharp-eyed artist conceived it when watching Scottish torchlight and sword dance. An exceptionailly skilful drawer, virtuoso aquarellist and a sure-handed master of oilpaintings, Mihály Zichy won the respect and appreciation of both his country and Europe in spite of the fact that previously some poeple severely (and unjustly) criticized him. In his last years he was suffering from a serious illness and from early 1905 he could watch only helpless the 1905 Revolution. An eminently great figure of Hungarian painting, he died on 29 February 1906. Few people know it but specialists that Zichy, made his name not oniy with his manifold artistic activities, but he was a distinguished art collector and ethnographer into the bargain. Pieces of Caucasian and Indian furniture of a unique value, fine carvings, furnishings, Persian caskets, crockery, articles of Asian foilklore, stage property and other valuable relics of fine workmanship and last but not least a superb arms collection together with the only shaman attire to be seen in Somogy Country, bears a witness to this. His priceless multilingual library and archives remain to be explored in the days to come. It is aimost impossible even to foil low - within the scope of such a brief survey — the range of his works or to sound his genius: all this is beyond our reach. The sole purpose of this short account has been to call the attention of visitors to this place, where the great artist used to return to from time to time, from the crowded life of the big cities, so as to take a deep breath from the air of the surrounding landscape like a diver who badly needs some life-sustaining air.